Pro-Consumer Percentage: 42% The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2014 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their "Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage" is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 340: Demand Side Management ProgramsStatus: Became law without Gov. Pence's signature CAC fought long and hard to help bring energy efficiency programs to Indiana. These programs have been running for a couple of years now, and they're working - energy efficiency is reducing the demand for electricity in our state. This reduces the need to build more power plants, which means we don't have to pay for more power plants, which keeps our electric bills from skyrocketing. SB340 dismantles energy efficiency programs in Indiana. SB340 is simply bad public policy.

Vote on SB 340: 3 votes; 2 Pro-Consumer, 1 Anti-Consumer

HB 1162: Certificates of Need for UtilitiesStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

The issue of competitive procurement was brought to the General Assembly in an attempt to bring fairness and transparency to the process of the electric utilities decision making process with respect to securing resources to serve the needs of their customers. Currently, Indiana law does not require the utilities to conduct a public bidding process when they need additional generation resources, whether they need new generation or are considering expensive modifications to existing resources. A public and transparent process would help to ensure that the utilities were in fact selecting the resource which would provide service to their customers at the “least cost” reasonably possible. However, HB11162 was amended in the House Utility Committee to cement the existing, flawed process into law, which changes nothing and creates the false appearance that Indiana now has a “competitive” process in place. HB1162 is nothing more than an attempt by the utility lobby to put an end to this necessary conversation and maintain the status quo.

Vote on HB 1162: Anti-Consumer

SB 186: State Policy on Agriculture and Farmers' RightsStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

Senate Bill 186 is being promoted as a way to protect farmer’s rights. In reality this bill puts the interests of big farmers above those of other Hoosiers. It is completely unnecessary and puts other property owners, our environment and rural communities at risk. Granting factory farms special protection in state law will put an end to local control, taking away to the ability of local communities to pass local ordinances that protect their interests. No industry should have special protections in the law. Many Hoosiers who live in close proximity to factory farms are already suffering from their effects. Our rights need to be protected!

Vote on SB 186:

Committee vote: Anti-Consumer

Senate floor vote: Anti-Consumer

SJR 9: Right to Hunt, Fish, and Harvest WildlifeStatus: Passed the 2014 Indiana General Assembly. This is a proposed constitutional amendment, so it can now be proposed again in the next session of the legislature that convenes after a general election has taken place.

Provides that the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife is a valued part of Indiana's heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good. CAC's concern with this bill is that "wildlife" is not well defined, and so this bill could turn into something akin to SB186 (above).

Vote on SJR 9:

Committee vote: Anti-Consumer

Senate floor vote: Anti-Consumer

SB 101: Agricultural Operations and Criminal Tresspass (Ag Gag)Status: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

Senate Bill 101, the 2014 version of Ag-Gag, would had have a chilling effect on the public’s right to know how our food is produced and processed. In its original form, this bill would have made it a crime to expose illegal or unethical practices at farms in Indiana.

We were able to neutralize the bill's impact on consumers with the amendments that were inserted in the Senate committee, and we helped to keep bad language from creeping back into the bill as it moved through the process. We are pleased that once again this year we helped to stop big ag's attempts to operate in secret and to preemptively prevent whistleblowers from exposing their inhumane and unsafe practices.

Vote on SB 101: Pro-Consumer

HB 1391: CHOICE programStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence

Changes asset limitations within the community and home options to institutional care for the elderly and disabled program (program) from $500,000 to $250,000 and specifies certain exemptions. This bill expands the CHOICE Home Care Program to allow more Hoosiers to have access to the in-home care services they need. For more on the CHOICE program, click here.

Vote on HB 1391: 3 votes; 2 Pro-Consumer, 1 Anti-Consumer

2013 Voting Records: Senator Tim Skinner (D, District 38)

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 50% The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2013 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their "Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage" is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 560 Utility TransmissionStatus: Signed into law by Gov. Pence This bill will virtually allow Indiana electric and natural gas to raise your rates automatically, and at the same time deregulate most of their monopoly revenue and profits.

Sen. Skinner's vote on SB 560: 2 Votes - both Anti-Consumer

SB 494/510 Substitute Natural Gas Status: Signed into law by Gov. Pence Restores some regulatory oversight over the proposed Indiana Gasification/Leucadia coal-to-gas plant in Rockport, IN by defining what is meant by a "guarantee of savings" to ratepayers and requiring the IURC to ensure that ratepayers are provided an actual guarantee of savings from this project.

The original language in SB510 promised to protect consumers from unreasonable and excessive charges for substitute natural gas (SNG) from the proposed Indiana Gasification/Leucadia coal-to-gas plant in Rockport, IN. SB 510 died in the House.

Sen. Skinner's vote on SB 494/510: 2 Votes - both Pro-Consumer

2011 Voting Records: Senator Tim Skinner (D, District 38)

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 67%The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2011 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their "Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage" is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 251: This bill was the mother lode for the utilities this year. It does the following:

Defines clean energy as virtually any technology that produces electricity; which includes truly renewable sources like wind and solar, but also includes, but is not limited to, nuclear, coal gasification, solid waste, coal bed methane, and industrial byproducts.

Gives the utilities all kinds of trackers, which allow the utilities to raise your rates when their costs go up without having to lower your rates when their costs go down.

SB 71: This bill will essentially open the State of Indiana to hydrofracking (hydraulic fracturing) coal seams for the purpose of extracting coal bed methane, with no requirement that the operators of these wells comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act or even allow the public to comment on the permits or know the location of where these operations will take place.

SB 66: This bill amends the definition of "renewable energy resources" in utilities law to add low temperature, oxygen starved gasification of municipal solid waste (burning trash to make electricity).

Sen. Skinner's Vote on SB 66: 2 votes - both Anti-Consumer

SB 72: This bill was the first bill of the session to give eminent domain to private corporations for carbon dioxide pipelines. This bill was killed, but the eminent domain provision was inserted into SB 251, which passed.

Sen. Skinner's Vote on SB 72: Pro-Consumer

2010 Voting Records: Senator Tim Skinner (D, District 38)

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 50% The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2010 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their “Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage” is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 115: Eminent Domain For Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Status: Dead Authored by Sen. Beverly Gard (R, Greenfield) SB 115 permits an entity engaged in the transportation of carbon dioxide by pipeline to acquire real property by eminent domain. That entity can be a person, a firm, a partnership, a limited liability company, or a corporation. The bill wrongly declares that "the transportation of carbon dioxide by pipeline in Indiana is declared to be a public use and service, in the public interest, and a benefit to the welfare of Indiana and the people of Indiana."

Sen. Skinner’s Vote on SB 115: Anti-Consumer

SB 313: Net Metering Status: Dead SB 313 would expand eligible net metering customer classes to allow individuals, businesses, commercial industries, and universities to interconnect to the grid and generate their own power. SB 313 would not set a limit on the size of the system a customer could install, unless you are a residential customer or K-12 schools, in which case you remain captive to the current rule. This bill encourages renewable energy production, energy independence, and customer owned generation.

Sen. Skinner’s Vote on SB 313: Pro-Consumer

2009 Voting Records: Senator Tim Skinner (D-Terre Haute, District 38)

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 56% The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2009 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their “Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage” is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

HB 1348: Energy conservation codes and standardsStatus: Vetoed by the Governor Authored by Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D, South Bend), and joined by co-authors Rep. Pierce and Rep. Bill Ruppel (R, N. Manchester), requires the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission to adopt the most recent edition of the (1) International Energy Conservation Code as published by the International Code Council; or (2) American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, or Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 90.1; for commercial structures before July 1, 2010.

Sen. Skinner's Vote on HB 1348: Pro-Consumer

HB 1360: Alternative energy incentives for REMCs Status: Died in the Senate Originally, HB 1360 intended to create an alternative energy fund for the REMCs. After the bill moved out of the House, it was assigned to the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy committee and became a vehicle for Sen. Hershman to do the bidding of the utilities. The bill moved out of committee by a vote of 10-1. However, when the bill was scheduled for 2nd reading on the Senate floor, 15 amendments were offered, most of which were offered by CAC and AT&T. The amendments muddied the waters so much, that the bill was not called down and died.

Sen. Skinner's Votes on HB 1360: 2 votes, one Pro-Consumer and one Anti-Consumer

HB 1669: Geothermal conversion loans Status: Effective 7-1-09 HB 1669 establishes the Geothermal Conversion Revolving Fund for the purpose of making loans to school corporations that: (1) install a geothermal heating and cooling system in a new facility; or (2) install a geothermal heating and cooling system that replaces a conventional heating and cooling system.

Sen. Skinner's Votes on HB 1669: 2 votes, both Pro-Consumer

SB 201: State energy policy (The Utility Tracker Christmas Tree) Status: Died in the House Utilities Committee SB 201 was written by Gov. Daniels office. It was authored by Sen. Gard, Sen. Stutzman, and Sen. Merritt and contained the eminent domain language and open-ended tracking provisions for “green” energy development. It was heard in the Senate Utility Committee. The only opposition to the bill was offered by CAC and INDIEC, the advocacy group for industrial ratepayers. SB 201 was voted out of committee unanimously 11-0. It then moved out of the full Senate on 3rd reading 50-0. The bill was sponsored in the House by Rep. Moses, Rep. Murphy, and Rep. Grubb. Rep. Moses elected not to give the bill a hearing, however, the language from the bill found its way into the Senate versions of HB 1360 and SB 420.

Sen. Skinner's Vote on SB 201: Anti-Consumer

SB 300: Net Metering Status: Died in Conference Committee SB 300 expanded Indiana’s net metering rule to allow a customer of an investor owned utility to connect to the grid a renewable energy system with a capacity of 100 kW or less, up from the current law of only 10 kW. Current law also limits the program to residential and K-12 schools only. SB 300 would have expanded the program to all customer classes. Net metering is currently an administrative rule of the IURC; SB 300 would have codified net metering and put it into statute. The bill was written by the Indiana Energy Association, or the investor owned utilities.

Sen. Skinner's Vote on SB 300: Pro-Consumer

SB 420: Renewable energy (Redefining “renewable energy” & Opening Indiana’s Door to Nuclear Power) Status: Died in Conference Committee This bill redefined “renewable energy” to include coal, amended Indiana’s terrible CWIP (construction work in progress) laws to include nuclear power plants (allowing the utilities to charge ratepayers for a nuclear power plant as it is being constructed, before it produces any electricity), and added trackers for the cost recovery of fees associated with siting, design, licensing, and permitting of the new generation facility even if the new facility is never built or placed in service.

Sen. Skinner's Vote on SB 420: Anti-Consumer

SB 423: Substitute natural gas contracts Status: Signed into law by Governor Daniels on 3-24-09 SB 423 permits the Indiana Finance Authority to enter into contracts for the purchase and sale of substitute natural gas (SNG) from coal gasification facilities to regulated energy utilities for delivery to retail end use customers. It also requires the authority to establish the Substitute Natural Gas Account to provide funding for SNG related business.

Sen. Skinner's Vote on SB 423: Anti-Consumer

2008 Voting Records: Senator Tim Skinner (D-Terre Haute, District 38)

Pro-Consumer Percentage: 40% The following is a synopsis of how the Senator voted in the 2008 General Assembly on the bills that CAC was tracking. We consider that 80% is a passing grade for the legislators, meaning that if their “Pro-Consumer Voting Percentage” is 80% or above, they are working to protect consumers in the State House. If their percentage is below 80%, they are not working to protect consumers.

SB 224: Various Utility Matters (Utility Wish List Legislation)Status: Dead Authored by Senator Brandt Hershman (R, Monticello), and joined by co-authors Senators Ryan Mishler (R, Bremen), Dennis Kruse (R, Auburn) and Jean Breaux (D, Indianapolis), SB 224 contained a pseudo-RES – renewable energy resources were defined to include largely non-polluting, renewable sources of energy (other than energy from burning tires, garbage and other waste in waste-to-energy facilities). However, of the 6% standard to be achieved by the year 2020, 50% of it could be met using “advanced energy resources”, a new term that nevertheless included old, non-renewable resources such as waste coal (extremely high in mercury content) and “clean” coal (that, while capable of reducing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and other toxic air emissions, would add to Indiana’s disproportionate contribution to greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming), and that could encompass nuclear power. SB 224 also included two pro-utility trackers that would have weakened the utility regulatory process by requiring the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to approve investments regardless of whether they are just, reasonable and in the public interest. These tracker provisions could result in significant and unjustified increases in electricity rates.

These bills contained identical language that allow an out-of-state venture capitalist firm (Leucadia) that seeks to build a coal gasification plant in Southern Indiana to assign tax credits to coal and substitute natural gas producers outside of Indiana. CAC opposed last year’s legislation, which paved the way for construction of this coal plant, as it locked natural gas suppliers, and hence ratepayers, into 30 year contracts for the substitute natural gas, whatever the price, that neither the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission or other governmental entity could subsequently change or even review. CAC raised concerns that it would also spew millions of new tons of CO2 into Indiana’s atmosphere each year.

Promises made last year to garner support for the coal plant – that it would use Indiana coal and produce substitute natural gas in Indiana – were removed in SB 223 in a classic “bait & switch” scheme designed to secure financing regardless of the negative impact to Indiana ratepayers or the economic best interests of the state.

HB 1280: Green Building Standards Status: Passed to a Summer Study Committee Authored by Rep. Matt Pierce (D, Bloomington), and joined by co-authors Terri Austin (D, Anderson) and Greg Porter (D, Indianapolis), as introduced HB 1280 would have required large, state, educational, and local public works building projects (other than public schools) – those that are newly constructed, as well as those subject to repair or alteration – to be designed with the goal of achieving the silver rating under the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, the Green Globes Two Globes level or an equivalent rating system accredited by the American National Standards Institute. These systems rate buildings based on the sustainability of the site, the materials and other resources, water and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.

Sen. Skinner's Vote on HB 1280: Anti-Consumer

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The CAC Mission: To initiate, facilitate and coordinate citizen action directed to improving the quality of life of all inhabitants of the State of Indiana through principled advocacy of public policies to preserve democracy, conserve natural resources, protect the environment, and provide affordable access to essential human services.